Colorant dispenser for decorating machines



Oct. 18, 1960 E. A. NOWAK 2.956,!99

COLORANT DISPENSER FOR DECORATING MACHINES Filed Feb. 12, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,z w'l Sconce PRESSURE FLIUI D INVENTOR EDWARD ANOWAK ATTORNEY$ Oct. 18, 1960 E. A. NOWAK COLORANT DISPENSER FOR DECORATING MACHINES Filed Feb. 12, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR EDWARD A./2OWAK 2? BY 526. AM

ATTORNEYS United States Patent COLORANT DISPENSER FOR DECORATING MACHINES Edward A. Nowak, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Owens- Illinois Glass Company, a corporation of Ohio Filed Feb. 12, 1958, Ser. No. 714,899

6 Claims. (Cl. 101--124) This invention relates to dispensing apparatus for containiug and maintaining material in a heated and fluid condition and dispensing measured quantities of such material for use with decorating machines, and more particularly to such dispensing apparatus for use in conjunction with a decorating machine for decorating articles of glassware.

Decorating machines utilized presently for decorating glassware articles, such as, for example tumblers, jars, and bottles, employ a squeegee that is engaged at the top surface of a reciprocated screen bearing therein the color decoration pattern to be applied. The workpiece undergoing decoration is chucked in a holder and rotated in a controlled manner in underlying engagement with the decorating screen and in time with it while the latter is reciprocated. The colorant material is deposited as a fluid at the upper surface of the screen and is picked up and worked through the screen by a squeegee. The material when applied is generally quite sticky and viscous. It is then dried or baked on the decorated article as a permanent decoration.

Quite recently, the more desirable colorant materials being utilized for more permanent decorations are of the enamel type or hot melt enamels which are of such a high viscosity that they will not work satisfactorily at ordinary room temperatures. These materials to be workable must be heated to and maintained at elevated ing screen for application. These pots have been, heretofore, of an integral structure wherein the material is deposited therein either at room temperature and melted or the material is preheated in another container and poured or ladled as a liquid into the pot where it is then maintained at the proper working temperature. The entire pot unit, including the heating means, has been constructed as an integral unit. This creates certain disadvantageous and operating limitations, namely, (1) transfer of the material is required from the preheater container to the pot, (2) the entire assembly must be dismantled and cleaned upon change of color jobs, (3) many such pot units must be in inventory to readily facilitate decorating job changes, and (4) considerable equipment and maintenance thereof is required.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages by provision of an improved dispensing apparatus wherein the colorant material is contained in a light and easily transferable liner receptacle insertable into a supporting well mounted on the decorating machine, the mounted well structure having a heating device connected with it for providing heat to the material in the liner and maintain it in a heated and fluid condition suitable for decorating use.

' Another object of this invention is to incorporate with such improved apparatus a dispensing valve mechanism for dispensing measured amounts ofthe material to the decorating machine as needed and in time with the reciprocating screen.

A further object of the invention is to provide in conjunction with the dispensing apparatus mentioned, automatic control means for dispensing measured amounts of the colorant material in accordance with requirements of the decorating machine.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such a dispensing device as mentioned that is more economical and easily maintained.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description of a preferred embodiment, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings of the preferred embodiment to which reference is made, and in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational outline view of a glassware decorating machine showing the subject of the present invention connected for use therewith and includes an illustration of the automatic control for the colorant dispenser unit.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the dispenser apparatus of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view taken along lines 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the reciprocating drive mechanism of the dispenser apparatus.

Referringbriefly to Fig. 1, the dispensing apparatus, generally designated at 10, is shown adapted to a decorating station A of a screen-type glassware decorating machine. The operation and function of the machine shown in outline form on the drawings is fully disclosed in copending application of M. O. Hansen, Serial No. 470,663, filed November 23, 1954, and owned by common assignee herewith. Description of this machine will be herein set forth only insofar as necessary for understanding the operation of the dispensing apparatus 10.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, a receptacle supporting frame 11 is integrally connected with a cylindrical frame support 12 which has an internal bearing surface adapted to be journaled over a vertical post 13 on a bracket 14 of the squeegee carriage 15 of the decorating machine (see Fig. 1) for mounting the dispensing apparatus 10 thereon at one of the decorating stations A of the machine.

The receptacle supporting frame 11 is composed of depending side walls 16 and an integral bottom wall 17.

The side wall and bottom wall 16 and 17 collectively define a tapered well. The receptacle well 1617 is surrounded by a jacket enclosure 18 defining an enclosing heating chamber 19 around the well. In bottom wall 17 of the well is a downwardly depending outlet casing 30 enclosed by jacket 18. A continuous heating coil 20 is wound around the side wall 16 and across bottom wall 17 of the well and then around outlet casing 30 and connected in an electrical heating circuit 21 through a male plug 22. The plug 22 is adapted for connection into an energizing electrical circuit 22a (Fig. 1) for energizing the heating coil 20 and heating the well and outlet therefrom. Other heating means obviously may be employed, such as steam, hot air, gas flame, etc. and applied within the heating chamber 19 to heat the well structure. In the preferred embodiment shown, the heating coils 20 are cemented to the walls of the well and outlet casing thereof, said cementing compound being combined to adhere an insulating material or having insulating properties to form an insulating layer 23 about the heating coils 20. This insulation layer 23 is provided to direct the heat generated in the heating coils 20 by conduction into the adjacent walls 1617-30 of the well and thereby apply the heat to heat a receptacle liner 24 and outlet tube 26 to be supported in the well, as will be presently described.

A light weight receptacle liner 24 is insertable in nesting relationship within the well 16-17. The bottom of the receptacle liner 24- has an outlet opening 25 into which is threaded a tube 26 defining an outlet passage 27. The outlet passage 27 communicates with the interior of the receptacle liner 24. At the lower end of the tube 26, a fitment 28 is frictionally connected and has a vertical passage forming a dispenser orifice 29. The dispenser orifice 29 is of lesser diameter than the outlet passage 27. When the receptacle liner 24 is nested in the Well 16-17, the tube 26 and fitment 28 may then be attached to the liner and preheated colorant contained therein. In nesting the liner 24, its tube 26 is inserted through outlet casing 30 depending downwardly from the bottom wall 17 of the well and is heated when coils 28 are energized. The tube 26 attached to liner 24 defines an outlet passageway 27 for material flowing from inside the liner.

A needle plunger 31 is inserted axially in passage 27 and is carried on a linkage rod 32. This plunger and rod is carried as part of each liner unit and serves to plug the dispenser orifice 29 while the enamel is preheated in the liner and during placement in the well. When plunger 31 is reciprocated into and out of dispensing orifice 29, it forms a valving means for measuring quantities for material contained in the liner 24. A cantilever arm 33 is provided as a means for reciproeating the needle plunger 31 through rod 32. Ann 33 has a pivotal connection on a bracket 34, the latter having a shaft 34a keyed thereto and journaled in a housing 11a at one side of the receptacle support frame 11. Arm 33 is driven to reciprocate vertically and is pivotally connected at pivot pin 35 and has a detachable pivotal connection at pin 36 with a yoke 32a keyed onto the upper end of link rod 32. The cantilever arm 33 extends across the well supporting frame and is adapted for engagement with a piston rod 37 of a reciproeating cylinder-piston motor 38 through a detachably mounted driving lug 43 (Fig. 4). When motor 38 is inactivated so its piston rod 37 is lowered, the plunger 31 will seat in orifice 29 to close it. This condition defines the lower position of arm 33. When piston rod 38 engages lug 43, the linkage through arm 33 and rod 32 unseats plunger 31 in orifice 29 to dispense the enamel. The motor 38 is bolted to the side of the well structure 11 across from housing 11a and held by a motor mounting 39. As will hereinafter be described in conjunction with Fig. 1, the motor 38 is fluid operated and, as shown, need only be but a single-acting cylinderpiston assembly activated upwardly by intermittent supplies of pressure fluid delivered to its piston through line 40. A double-acting cylinder-piston motor may be utilized, but as Will be obvious, such motor will complicate the structure. The cantilever arm 33 has a coil spring 41 connected at its outer end and placed in tension by its detachable connection at lug 42 on bracket 39 for the motor. The spring 41 is set to normally hold the cantilever arm 33 in its lowermost position so that needle plunger 31 is seated to close the dispensing orifice 29. When the motor 38 is activated, its piston rod 37 is forced upwardly against driving lug 43 on the arm 33, whereupon the arm is pivoted in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 3) to unseat the needle plunger 31 from the dispenser orifice 29 and dispense a quantity of material from the outlet passage 27.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the reciprocating operation of the needle plunger 31 may be operated automatically and controlled both in its frequency of opening and closing of the orifice and in the degree of opening the dispensing orifice, so that measured quantities of the material may be dispensed. As previously mentioned, the dispenser unit is positioned at the decorating station A and the dispenser orifice 29 is vertically aligned to overlie the reciprocating decorating screen 44. In operation of the machine, a quantity or pile of a colorant material or enamel is built up on the upper surface of the screen 44 and, with each decorating stroke of the screen, the pile is depleted a certain amount. Therefore, with each stroke and a corresponding depletion of the quantity of enamel on the screen, the dispensing apparatus 10 will be called upon to dispense more material. The material is dispensed at the proper time during each stroke of the screen so that it is deposited at a strategic and like location each time. This is accomplished by tying the fluid pressure supply line 40 through valves 45 and 46. Valve 45 is a solenoid-operated safety valve normally held to open line 40 when the decorating machine is on for operation. Valve 46 is a poppettype valve utilized as the off and on control for connecting motor 38 with pressure fluid in line 40 and when off permits exhaust of fluid from motor 38. Line 48 extends from valve 46 to a pressure source (not shown). Valve 46 is normally spring set to the off position so that the fluid motor 38 is inactive, or if a double-acting cylinder motor is used to retract its piston rod 37.

The decorating machine is driven through a gear box 47 which drives a shaft 48 connected to the gear box by a universal joint 49. The other end of shaft 48 has a universal joint connection 50 to shaft 51 having a driving connection with the cam shaft 52 onto which cam 53 is keyed. This cam 53 is shown designed to trip valve 46 to its on position momentarily and open the pressure line to the motor one time during each revolution of the cam shaft 52.

The safety valve 45 is interposed between the valve 46 and the motor to prevent activating the motor to open the dispenser orifice when the decorating machine drive is shut down so that shaft 52 is stopped. It might happen that shaft 52, when stopped on shut down of the machine, places cam 53 to depress the poppet of valve 46 and opens pressure line 40 to motor 38. If this happened, the entire contents of the dispenser could be discharged, since piston rod 37 of motor 38 would then be activated upwardly. Valve 45 is operated to open and close line 40 by a solenoid 45a connected electrically to be energized when shaft 52 is driven. One manner of doing this is to connect the solenoid 45a through a circuit opened and closed by turning on and off the power means (not shown) to drive the machine, including shaft 52. When the machine is turned on to be operated, solenoid 45a is energized and pressure fluid is allowed to pass through valve 45 whenever valve 46 is opened. When the machine is stopped, however, solenoid 45a is de-energized and the pressure fluid permitted to pass through valve 46 will be blocked at valve 45. At this setting valve 45 also permits exhaust of fluid from motor 38.

Cam shaft 52 also carries another cam (not shown) which is designed and shaped to drive the screen carriage and its screen 44 during the decorating stroke. This provides an automatic control for operating the valve means of dispenser apparatus 10 to dispense a measured quantity of material during each reciprocating stroke of the decoratingscreen 44.

Referring again to Fig. 3, a still further adjustment for measuring the dispensed quantity of material comprises a stop means or bolt 54 threaded adjustably through a bracket 55 mounted next to the motor at the side of receptacle frame 11. Bolt 54 is aligned with driving lug 43 to define the limit of upward movement of cantilever arm 33 and may be adjusted accordingly to set the length of vertical stroke desired. A vertical slot in bracket 55 provides a lateral guide for the cantilever arm 33 to assure its alignment during reciprocating vertical movement. By adjusting the vertical upward stroke of the motor 38 through the stop means 54, the amount of material that may be dispensed with any one reciprocating stroke of the needle plunger 31 may be controlled. The needle plunger 31 has a loose fit in passage 27 and obviously, if the stroke of plunger 31 traverses a substantial length of passage 27, a comparatively large quantity of material will flow ahead of the plungercompared to a short stroke. Hence, on the downward stroke of plunger 31, it acts as 'a' piston to force the material through the dispenser orifice and at the end of the downward stroke seats itself in the dispenser orifice to close the latter.

One of the very important functional features of this apparatus is the ease with which colorant materials may be changed for changing from one job to another. In the past, it has been necessary to dismantle the entire unit and either clean it or replace it with a fresh unit containing the other distinctive colorant material. By use of this invention, only the receptacle liner 24 is removed and a similar liner containing the other color of enamel is inserted in its place. To make this changeover, the spring 41 is detached from its lug 42 and the drive lug 43 is loosened and moved out toward spring 41 along the cantilever arm 33. Pin 36 is removed and rod 32 and plunger 31 are allowed to remain in the liner, lest the hot paint run out. The cantilever arm 33 is then free to be swung out of the way by either rotating it about its pin 35 to the position shown in dotted outline, or by lifting it to pivot on pin 35 until it clears the guide slot in bracket 55, whereupon it is pivoted horizontally in mounting 34a-11a. If any enamel remains in the liner 24 at the time desired for removal, the needle plunger 31 is left seated in dispenser orifice 29 and thus the enamel will be contained in the liner until it is removed. The old liner 24 and any of the color enamel therein contained may then be removed vertically by use of its handle 24a, as indicated by the dotted outline thereof. The new color is then inserted by nesting the new liner 24 containing it in its place and reconnecting the driving and the valve means for automatic dispenser operation.

It is contemplated by this invention that several of these receptacle liners 24 may be provided with different color enamels and preheated at a preheater device and kept ready for decorating use. Job changes on the machine can then be accomplished simply by cleaning or replacing screen 44 on the machine and interchanging the receptacle liners 24, and their associated parts, as mentioned.

It is also contemplated that this invention is readily adaptable for use with decorating devices known in the art as split-screen decorating machines, wherein two or more different color enamels are applied through one screen. In such case, one such unit would be mounted to register over each divided portion of the split-screen, and the single automatic control hooked in parallel to operate the motors 38 collectively or each unit could be operated independently by similar controls, whichever might be most desirable for any given operation.

It is further contemplated that this invention is useable on semi-automatic decorating machines wherein the operator thereof will dispense the colorant enamel as his needs require. In such machines, each stroke of the decorating screen is triggered by the operator. Hence, he also replenishes the supply of enamel as he sees fit. This adaptation is achieved by disconnecting the automatic controls described, the needle plunger is removed and any handoperated valve is attached at the threaded nipple 60 of the fitment 28 (not shown). Thus, the same liner unit can be used for hand-operated dispensing.

Various modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a decorating machine for applying color decorations to container articles by a reciprocated squeegeescreen apparatus, and having a dispensing receptacle adapted to feed colorant material to the screen for decorating, the improvement for maintaining and dispensing heated colorant material in the proper fluid condition in time with operating cycles of said squeegee-screen apparatus in decorating, said improvement comprising a receptacle supporting structure overlying the screen of said apparatus and including side and bottom walls defining a well and a downwardly depending outlet casing, a liner 6 receptacle" for containing said colorant material and insertable in nesting engagement in said well to be supported and heated thereby, said liner receptacle being removable, a dispensing outlet passage depending from said liner receptacle and insertable through said outlet casing,

said passage terminating in a dispensing orifice, a heating means on said supporting structure and constructed and arranged for applying heat to said side and bottom walls and said outlet casing for heating the liner receptacle and its said outlet passage, valving means operable for opening and closing said orifice and comprising a needle plunger movable toward and away from said orifice to alternatively close the orifice and open said orifice and measure the flow of material therethrough, a lever pivoted at one end on said support structure, a linkage connection between the needle plunger and an intermediate point on said lever, a reciprocating fluid-operated motor including a cylinder, piston and piston rod, the piston rod being operatively connected to reciprocate said lever about its pivot, drive means for reciprocally operating said squeegee-screen apparatus, said drive means including a driven shaft, and control means for operating said motor responsive to operation of said squeegee-screen apparatus by said drive means and thereby reciprocate the plunger and dispense measured amounts of colorant material in time with decorating cycles of said apparatus, said control means comprising a motor control valve, means for supplying fluid under pressure to said control valve, a conduit connection from the valve to the motor to operate the latter, a control cam on said drive shaft, said cam being connected to operate said control valve for reciprocating the motor concurrent with the reciprocating actuation of the squeegee-screen apparatus provided by its said drive means.

2. In a container decorating machine for applying color decorations to the side walls of containers by a reciprocating squeegee-screen device which applies a heated colorant material through the decoration pattern provided by the screen and onto the container, in combination therewith a receptacle for colorant material and hav ing a downwardly depending outlet spout terminating in a dispensing orifice for dispensing material, a supporting well for said receptacle and including an outlet casing constructed and arranged to house said outlet spout of the receptacle, said well being mounted on the machine to support the receptacle spout in overlying relationship to the screen, the receptacle being supported in a nested and removable relationship with said well, elongated electric heating element means attached to the supporting well and its outlet casing and arranged for applying heat to the receptacle and its spout for heating the colorant material therein, valve means reciprocally operable in said spout for opening and closing said orifice to dispense measured quantities of the heated colorant material therefrom, a reciprocating fluid-operated motor operatively connected to operate said valve means, a motor control valve, means for supplying fluid under pressure through said control valve to operate the motor, drive means for reciprocally operating said squeegee-screen device, said means including a driven shaft, a cam on said shaft, an operator means for said valve in engagement on said cam and actuable thereby to operate the valve for reciprocating the motor, whereby the motor is reciprocated in time with the reciprocating operation of said squeegee-screen device for dispensing material thereto.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2, including a solenoid-operated valve between the motor and the motor control valve to override the motor control valve and inactivate the motor, and, when its solenoid is energized, permitting operation of the motor by said motor control valve, and means for energizing said solenoid of that valve responsive to running said drive means.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein is included a resilient means detachably connected to the lever for normally holding the needle plunger seated to close the dispensing orifice and characterized by the fact that the fluid-operated motor is single-acting, whereby the control means intermittently operates the motor to overcome said resilient means and open the dispensing orifice.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 1, including stationary stop means defining the length of movement of the needle plunger away from said orifice, said stop means being adjustable for varying said movement, whereby the measured amount of material dispensed during a reciprocating cycle of the needle plunger may be varied.

6. A fluid heating and dispensing apparatuscomprising a receptacle supporting structure including side and bottom walls defining a well and an outlet housing downwardly depending from said bottom wall, elongated heating element means in contact with the surface of said bottom and side walls and said outlet housing, said heating element means being wound over said surfaces arranged for applying heat to said side and bottom walls and said outlet housing when said element is energized, means for electrically energizing said heater element, a liner receptacle for containing said colorant material and insertable in nesting contact with said supporting structure to be supported and heated thereby, said receptacle being removable, an integral dispensing outlet spout depending downwardly from said receptacle and connected with the receptacle, said outlet spout being insertable through the outlet housing of said supporting structure, said spout defining a dispensing passage, a fitment removably attached to the outer end of the outlet spout of the receptacle and communicating with the dispensing passage, said fitment defining an end orifice for said passage, a needle plunger insertable into said dispensing passage from within the receptacle and movable reciprocally therein gaging the fulcrum element after movement in said one direction, said stop means defining the limit of reciprocating movement in that direction of the plunger for opening the orifice, and means connected to the fulcrum element and biased by extension of the piston rod for moving the plunger in the other direction to close the orifice.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,938,861 Roe Dec. 12, 1933 2,302,152 Snyder Nov. 17, 1942 2,609,966 Henry Sept. 9, 1952 2,657,152 Mengali et al Oct. 27, 1953 2,692,552 Conkle Oct. 26, 1954 2,731,912 Welsh Jan. 24, 1956 2,851,198 Rasmussen Sept. 9, 1958 

